Thyroid nodule symptoms

Hi

Able to advise please?

My wife has been diagnosed with multiple thyroid nodules. After tests, it seems that none of these are cancerous.

However, she does have a couple of other problems, both of which are intermittent:

1. She doesn't always sleep well.

2. Her blood pressure can fluctuate greatly from normal to high.

Q. Is it possible that her two symptoms above can be directly related in some way to her thyroid problem?

Many thanks, Ken.

[Marz]

Has your wife had thyroid levels checked ? Is she on treatment ? Please post results with ranges and members will comment 😊

[Hidden in reply to Marz]

Hi. Thanks for getting back.

She has not had her thyroid levels checked. What does this check consist of and what does it reveal?

She is not on treatment. Her doctor wanted to operate and remove the nodules, my wife decline because of bad reports.

[Marz in reply to Hidden]

It could be she has Hashimotos - which is auto-immune - I had nodules and the Thyroid Function Tests done here in Crete were all in range with HIGH Thyroid anti-bodies - so was given a diagnosis of Hashimotos. This was back in 2005 and I assume my nodules are still there

Having Hashimotos means you can swing from Hypo to Hyper which in turn can cause blood pressure issues. So can stress - low magnesium - low iron - low folate - low VitD - low B12 and low thyroid hormones .... Thyroid issues can also cause sleep problems as can the adrenals .....

Please avoid surgery if at all possible unless there are other issues like a big goitre or problems with swallowing. You really must get those thyroid tests done including the anti-bodies.

[greygoose]

That's not a diagnosis. The greater part of the population has thyroid nodules. At best, it's a constatation. If she has symptoms, then further testing should be done until they find the cause. And, then you can say you've got a diagnosis!

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

We live and work as expats in the Ukraine where the med services are poor. My wife is Ukrainian. Here, it's a standard procedure to remove the nodules by surgery. This is effectively a third world country where secondary tests are not suggested, as the doctors make their living from surgical procedures.

I suppose my questions is still: can having thyroid nodules give rise to:

a) Fluctuating blood pressure.

b) Inability to sleep properly.

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

Unless they are secreting their own hormone, I would say no, they wouldn't. But you won't know if they're secreting hormone without getting her hormone levels tested.

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

Okay, thanks for that. We will make enquiries about having a specific test done.

If they are secreting their own hormone, what can be done about that?

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

You would need :

TSH

FT4

FT3

Does she have any other symptoms, like weight-gain/loss, depression, stomach problems... ?

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

Weight prob = no

Depression = no

Stomach prob = yes, she has a sensitive stomach.

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

OK. Well, she really needs the tests to know more, but it does sound a little unlikely that she has a thyroid problem - although you never know. But plenty of people have nodules without ever having a thyroid problem. And the nodules aren't a problem unless they grow too large. Removing them seems a bit hazardous, to me - I didn't even know it was possible, without removing the whole gland.

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

Very interesting! Thanks again.

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

You're welcome.

[applesandoranges21 in reply to Hidden]

Will also require thyroid antibody screening.

[Hidden]

Thyroid modules increase with age, are more commonly found in women, and are more commonly benign as in your wife's case; and as I understand it, are more commonly found in area of low iodine and areas of radiation exposure ....... I'd reiterate the views already expressed here, that unless malignancy, or mechanical problems of swallowing etc, became an issue (induced by the size location or numbers of the modules), resisting surgery at this point might be the best route to take. Apart from any risks of surgery, pushing an otherwise healthy person towards hypothyroidism isn't the kindest of things, and certainly not in the hope of resolving sleep and fluctuating blood pressure issues the cause of which you haven't yet ascertained. Having the full range of thyroid blood tests mentioned will give your wife a clearer picture of what might be going on.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

A comprehensive reply - thanks!